Half-City Jiangs

Ji Li’s father becomes cleared of the charge of listening to foreign radio. Ji Li’s dad returns home but just to get a pair of clothing and they find out that he is not able to stay. After that a newspaper article comes out saying that the Jiang’s are a landlord family and that they are very rich. As Ji Li is leaving the house she shouts at her mom," I hate this landlord family." Ji- Li is angry about her landlord grandfather making her life hard so she goes to the police station to attempt to change her name but soon runs away. When she learns that when she becomes and educable child, she breaks away from her entire family, she rethinks her plan.

The Class Education Exhibition

Ji-Li’s school holds the Class Education Exhibition, people present in front of the school. Ji-Li is doing a presentation about landlords and how terrible and cruel they were to the slaves and people in debt. Chairman Jin comes to see Ji-Li’s presentation, and actually praises her her job well done. Later, Thin Face asks to have a meeting with Ji-Li about Ji li becoming an educable child. They wanted her to protest against her father at the struggle meetings and break free from her black family. She just couldn’t imagine herself getting up on the platform and leading the chant against her father, maybe even having to slap him in the face or beat him. Ji Li goes to school to help the revolutionary committee but when she arrives she finds that her spot has been replaced because of her political status and her choice. Ji Li runs away from school in shame and realizes that living with her black family is becoming harder than ever.

The Rice Harvest

Over the summer, Middle School Students are forced to perform Summer Labor, Chang Hong, Ji Li's friend and classmate convinces Ji Li to go into summer labor on the countryside. She agrees when she learns it would help in her in remolding. Ji Li arrives in a farm in the countryside with some of her classmates. Ji-Li's job is to harvest rice in the fields. The work is backbreaking labor and Ji Li is in much pain, but she's determined to finish. Bai Shan helps her finish. There is searing heat and Ji-Li starts to feels sick. She falls asleep and has to make up for the missed time by working through the night. Later, she learns from Chang Hong that she is returning to Shanghai to complete a study session with her father’s theater. She does not return to the rice field again.